The present invention relates to electrical power supplies and more particularly to power supply circuits, and components, utilizable for microprocessors (e.g. office and personal microcomputers and industrial machine and laboratory instrument controllers). The invention is particularly characterized in effective utilization of miniaturized inductive components (e.g. choke coils and transformers) for the above and other purposes.
It appears that future power supplies for microprocessors and the like will contain most semiconductor components and other logic elements in integrated circuit (IC) form, as in the microprocessor, per se, supplemented by patterned arrays of resistors and capacitors on the substrate containing the IC, with few, if any, supplemental discrete components. On the other hand power handling components of such supplies are difficult to miniaturize and these limit optimization of the cost, size and convenience of the microprocessor.
It is a principal object of the invention to provide an electrical power supply for microprocessors and the like which reduces the size/cost mismatch between power supply and logic/storage elements.
It is a further object of the invention to reduce losses in such a power supply.
It is a further object of the invention to provide high reliability, minimal generation of electromagnetic interference and high wattage-per-cubic inch rating in such a power supply.
It is a further object of the invention to provide enhanced effectiveness and utilization of inductive devices in such a power supply and for other purposes.